Process for vulcanizing rubber and products obtained thereby.



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IWAN OSTROMISLENSKY, OF PETROGRAD, RUSSIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, TO NEW YORK BELTING AND IPACKING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

PROCESS FOR VULCANIZING RUBBER AND PRODUCTS OBTAINED THEREBY.

Patented Dec. 4, Jlbllt.

No Drawing. Original application filed July 29, 1916, Serial No.112,187. Divided and this application filed November 24, 1916.

To all whom'z't may concern:

Be it known that I, IWAN Os'rnomrsnnn- SKY, a subject of the Czar ofRussia, residing at Pet'rograd, Russia, have invented cersuitingtherefrom. I

The vulcanization of rubber, according to the practice heretoforefollowed, is performed by the use of sulfur or a sulfur containingcompound. Other methods which' have been proposed employ halogens orsulfur-free halogen compounds 6. .g. hypochlorous acid, b pochlorites,bromin, iodin, etc. Mention 0 these materials rarely occurs, however,outside of the literature, and

according to such statements as appear in the literature they act toproduce only hard rubber, resembling ebonite. The commercial importance,therefore, of other processes than those employing sulfur is practicallynegligible. vulcanization by sulfur, dominatesthefield. The use ofsulfur alone according to the present well-known processes is open tosome objections whichit is the object of the present invention toovercome.

' Where sulfur alone is employed the vulcan- 'ened-to remedy which asupplementary v ization must be effected by the action of a high degreeof'heat. Where-sulfur -chlorid is used in cold-curing the process istroublesome and requires special precautions in the use and handling ofsulfur chlorid. Articles vulcanized'by sulfur age somewhat rapidly.Further unavoidable excess of sulfur some times occurs in articles sovulcanized to the detriment thereof-for example, the color of thearticle is affected and the life shortprocess of airing must be resortedto which lengthens the process of cure. The range of colors obtainablein rubber vulcamzed by Serial No. 133,133.

sulfur is limited, the majority of organic dyes under the conditionsheretofore pertalning tending to change color.

The principal object of the present invention accordingly is to providea simple and efficient process which by obviating the use of sulfuror-sulfur compounds partially or entlrely as the vulcanizing agent shalldo away with various disadvantages noted inthe use thereof. Anotherobject is to pro vide a series of products having a wide range ofdesirable physical characteristics employing a vulcanizing agent oragents eliminatlng sulfur or sulfur compounds.

his is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 112,187, filedJuly 29, 1916.

In carrying out the process in its preferred 'form'20 grams of rubberare mixed with'420% of benzoyl peroxid. The mixture is placed in the.vulcanizing press and heated under thirty pounds steam pressureforapproximately fifteen minutes and when removed from the press completevulcanizato aging. Further, the product is translucent and nearlytransparent in layers approximately one-eighth inch thick.

According to my theory the action of benzoyl peroxid in effectingvulcanization is secured through the activity of one or more of theoxygen atoms thereof and it has been found in general that substanceslike benzoyl peroxid may be employed with similar results. For example,various peracids such as perbenzoic acid and the like may be used. I

It will be observed that the process mentioned is applicable not only tonatural rubber but maybe applied to various synthetic rubbers. Forexample, tests carried out with Mid di-methylerythrene and normalerythrene produced good results.

The process of vulcanization may be carried out without the applicationof the vulcanizing heat employed above, that is, steam under thirtypounds pressure. Such process is preferably carried out as follows :20grams of natural rubber are mixed with 4-20% of benzoyl peroxid, themixture temperature vulcanization becomes complete.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention couldbe made without departing from the spirit thereof, it is to beunderstood that I do not intend to limit myself to the specific form ofthe invention as set forth except as indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect byLetters Patent is:

1. A process for treating rubber or similar material which comprisesadding a peroxy compound thereto and inducing vulcanization to takeplace under the. action thereof.

2. A process for treating rubber or similar material which comprisesadding an organic peroxy compound thereto and inducing vulcanization totake place by the action thereof.

3. A process for treating rubber or similar material which comprisesadding a peroxid thereto and inducing vulcanization to take place underthe action of said peroxid.

4. A process for treating rubber or similar material which comprisesadding an organic peroxid thereto, and inducing vulcanization to takeplace under the action of said peroxid.

5. .A process for treating rubber or similar material which comprisesadding benzoyl peroxid thereto and inducing vulcanization to take placeunder the action thereof.

6. A process for treating rubber or similar material which comprisesadding a peroxy compound-thereto and vulcanizing the mixand vulcanizingthe mixture at substantially normal temperature.

9. A process for treating rubber or similar 4 material which comprisesadding an organic peroxid thereto, preliminarily heating the mixture to30 to 80 C. and vulcanizing the mixture at substantially normaltemperature.

10. A process for treating rubber or similar material which comprisesadding benzoyl peroxid thereto, preliminarily heatin the mixture to atemperature below 100 and vulcanizing the mixture at substantiallynormal temperature.

11. As a new compound a vulcanized rubber containing products of theaction of a vulcanizing agent comprising a peroxy compound.

12. As a new compound a vulcanized rubber containing products of theaction of a vulcanizing agent comprising an organic peroxid.

13. As a new compound a vulcanized rubber comprising products of theaction at a temperature below 100 C. of a vulcanizing agent comprising aperoxid.

Signed at Petrograd, Russia, this 17 day of November, 1916.

IWAN OSTRQMISLENSKY.

